Display apparatus



R. L. TEDESCO.

DISPLAY APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 17, 19|9.

mma Feb. 22, 1921.

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DISPLAY APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FlLED 1ULY17.1919.

Patented Feb. 22,1921'. l

a SHEETS-,SHEET 2.

R. L. TEDESCO.

DISPLAY APPARATUS. APPLICATION HLED 1uLY17,1919.

1,369,060. Patented Feb. 22,1921.

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RALPH L. TEDESCO, or RockLANDQ MASSACHUSETTS.

y DISPLAY APPARATUS.

To all whom/et may concern yBe it knownA that I, RALPH L. TEDnsoo,.a

citizen of the United States, and resident of Rockland, county of Plymouth, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented an -Improvement iny Display Apparatus, of

which the following description, in connection with the `accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts in each of the several views. f

This invention relates to display appa-Y ratus adapted forautomatic operationfunder the control of an operator for bringing selec@ tively into view or exhibiting position any one of a series or set of announcements or other legends or indicia which it may be desired to present for informative, advertising, or other purposes. lrVhile having many other and more general fields ofL usefulness, one illustrative use 'forwhieh the invention is well adapted, is forannouncing yselections as they are played in music demonstration rooms andthe like. A principal object .of the invention is to provide relatively simple lyet reliable apparatus under the convenient andffull control of the operator and requiring a minimum of attention on her-part for making the desired announcements. The foregoing and other 0bjc-cts and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description, and the distinctive features of-novelty will be pointed out in the Referring to the drawings: Figure lis a rear view of an apparatus embodying the invention with portions broken away to better show the interior construction;

Fig. y2 is an end view lookingfrom the rio-ht in Fig. 1- and withv parts brokenaway; Y 4ig. 3 is a transverse section `on line 3--3 ofFig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow A; y

Fig. .tis afragmentary elevation illus- Vtrating one feature of the operation-and control of the apparatus; f

Fig. 5 is an elevation of an electric control button plate adapted for use with the invention;' j y Fig. 6 isa bottom plan viewl of ai portion of the electric control contacts; Y Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the contact control box; -Y l 'adapted for use with'the apparatus.

speciiicatrqn'of Letters Patent. `Patented Feb, 22, 1921,

Application led July, 17, 1919. Serial No. 311,453.

'Fig. Sis a diagram showing the electric Wiring; and v Fig. '9 is an eieviationof a front facing Suitable spacedapart journal uprights 10, 11 are mountedon a base 12 and furnish bearings for the ends vof a shaft 13 which.

onstrated, or the successive numbers of an entertainment program.v The drum- 1 4 is provlded with a series 'of eXliibiting'op'en` ingsl spaced around the circumference ithereof adapted to present successivi-ilyy to -viewat the *frontof thel apparatus cards or plates 16iitted in said openings and having :stenciled or otherwise produced therein the announcement to be exhibited. Preferably the interior of the drum. has mounted 'therein one or more electric lamps 17 adapted to projecty illumination` outward through the Stencil opening to render the same conspicuous. Thel electric current to supply vthese lamps may be furnished from a-commutator .ring 18at-the endo-f the apparatus supplied `by 4brushesl) inusual manner. For rotating the drum 14 it is shown as equipped with ,a belt wheel 2O driven by a belt 21 from an electric motor 22 through intermediate reducing gearingA 23 mounted 'on the base 12.

The circuit of the motor 22 includes in series .a pair of spaced apart; spring contacts 24,25 which are adapted to be connected to complete' the circuit :by a bridging contact l26. kThis bridging contactis connected with afslidable core 2'( of a solenoid 28 so arrangedthat upon energization of said sole-y noid the bridging contact v26. will be" drawn inward and engaged with thespring contacts 24 25. The bridging contact26` is also "engagedwith the lower end of a relatively longlever arm 29 which is pivoted to the .frame Work at 8O and has a relatively Short upper arm 29a thereof` formed with an inclined edge 29b adapted -to b e engaged by a member` carried by the drum. as presently described for retracting the bridging. contact 26 fromengagement withjthe spring contacts24,`25 to break the motor circuit. The

ylower extremity ofthe leverarm29 isprovidediwith a'beveledanotchfl engageable by a spring plate 32 to yieldingly holdsaid lever arm in position to keep the bridging contact 26 retracted. Y the drum 14 stationary while the motor 22 is energized, a fixed socket 33 is provided into which a selective one of a series of spring pressed locking pins 34 carried by and spaced around the end of the drum 14,`

is adapted to engage and hold the drum im movable. Vhen it is desired to start the drum it is necessary that this locking pin be retracted fromthe socket 33 and for this purpose I provide a pusher rod 35 adapted to eject said locking pin from said socket. This pin is normally held retracted out of said socket by a compression spring 36 engaging the same and it has associated therewith an electro-magnet 37, the armature 38 of which is engaged with said pusher rod so that when said magnet is energized the rod 35 is pressed inward to eject thepin 34 from the socket 33. For controlling the magnet 37 I provide a circuit 39 having spaced apart contacts 40, 41 adapted to be bridged by a contact bar 42 which is actuated by a button 42a. The contact bar 42 which normally occupies a position as shown in Fig. 8 is adapted upon movement in the direction of the arrow to first close the contacts 40, 41 to energize the magnet 37 and by a further movement to close the contacts 43, 44 which completes the motor controllin circuit 45, this circuit including the solenoid 28. The energization of this solenoid bridges the contacts 24, 25 completing` the circuit 46 of the motor 22. The spring pressed locking pins 34 serve also as means for disconnectingfthe motor circuit after a predetermined movement as now to be described: These pins correspond in number to the number of exhibiting openings 15 in the drum 14, these being shown as twelve in number. Each pin 34 is mounted to slide in a bracket holder 47 fixed to the end'of the drum and it is acted on by a compression spring 48 tending constantly to press it outward into operative position. An enlarged head 34a of the pin is equipped with a groove 34b which is adapted to be engaged by a turned-in end 49a of a spring arm 49, the inner end of which is fixed to the iframe 47 as indicated at 491. The spring arm '49 is equipped with an armature which is acted on by an electro-magnet 50 carried by the drum. The series of electro-magnetsr 50 associated with the respective pins 34 are each in circuit with one of a series of commutator or collector rings 51 mounted on the end of the drum, these rings being engaged by' a series of brushes 52 mounted on a fixed support 53. 'Ihe respective brushes 53 are connected with a series of contact buttons 54 in a corresponding series of circuit branches arranged in parallel and so that any one of them may be operated to complete the circuit from the battery 55 to For normally locking the rod 35 will be first actuated to eject the locking pin 34 then in engagement with the socket 33 and a further turning movement of said'button will connectthe contacts 43, 44 energizing the solenoid 28 and thus closing the circuit to start the drum.y The drum thereu )on rotates in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2. As it nears its predetermined position thepin 34 that has previously been projected as described engages the inclined edge `29b of the lever arm 29a throwing out-the bridging contact 2G and thus denergizing the motor. The drum continues torevolve a short distance under the iniuence of momentum until the projected pin 34 reaches the socket 33 with which it engages stopping and locking the *drum the acsition of this socket bein@r such with reference to the lever edge 29b that the momentum ofthe drum will be substantially spent before said pin engages said socket. The seriesv ofV contact buttons 54 are, as shown, carried by aplate 56 with numbered identifications for the respective ones thereof so that by reference to a key or chart the operator can at once determine which button to actuate for causing the drum to rotate a sufficient' extent to exhibit any particular feature. VThe front of the apparatus may be equipped with a suitable facing 57 with a sight-opening 53 so arranged as to show therethrough the particular feature or announcement then in position for exhibition at the front of the drum. kAmong the distinctive and important advantages of the vinvention is-that of being able to operate and control the device from any convenient location which may be remote from the device, the system of control buttons 54 as described serving to Vcontrol the local actuating circuit of the motor` equally well wherever the box bearing such control'buttons `lmay be located. 'Ihus the apparatus may v vention.

Having described my invention, ywhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: A

l. Display apparatus, comprising a rotatable drum equipped to display selectively any one of a series of subjects borne thereby,

an electric motor for operating said drum,

a series of electrically controlled locking elements for stopping said drum at selective predetermined points,rmeans for actuating said locking elements from a relatively remote point, a relatively fixed socket having an automatic ejector associated therewith for receiving said locking elements selectively as they are projected to operative position, and a disconnector for the circuit of said motor also equipped for actuation by said .locking element when projected to operative position.

2. A display apparatus comprising a rotatable drum equipped to display selectively any one of a series of subjects borne thereby, an electric motor for operating said drum, a series of electrically controlled locking elements for stopping said drum at selective predetermined points, said locking elements equipped for actuation from a remote point, a relatively Xed socket having an automatic ejector associated therewith for receiving said locking elements selectively as if 3. A display apparatus comprising a rotac table drum equipped to display selectively any one of a series'of subjects borne thereby, means for rotating said drum, a seriesy of locking elements for stopping said drum consisting in radially movable pins mounted on said drum and spring pressed outward,

each pin equipped with a solenoid lockingy device having connections for actuation from a remote pointl and a relatively fixed seat adapted to engage with a projected pin and having an automatic ejector vassociated therewith arranged) to press the pin positively out of said seat to permit starting of the drum.

In testimony whereof,I hav-e signed myy namevto this specification. y

RALPH L. TEDESCO. 

